Tangled Agendas
by Carol
Summary: Chapter 3 added! A new woman in Ed's life is not what she seems, putting everyone's life in danger
1. Default Chapter

Tangled Agendas (1/?)

By Carol M.

Summary: A new woman in Ed's life is not what she seems, putting everyone's life at risk

Spoilers: Transformations, Veil, Sleeper, Vengeance

Rating: PG-13 to R for violence, mild sexuality and lots of angst

Disclaimer: Don't own them, only play with them

Note: So this might possibly be the first story in a series focusing on Ed. This one takes place sometime after the events of Sleeper and Vengeance. Hope you enjoy it, folks!

Ed sighed in happiness as he swam through the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean, his surfboard nestled firmly in his arms. It had been weeks since he had been able to enjoy his Saturday morning tradition of catching a few waves. The damn Spanish influenza had left him weak and his lungs achy, not a good combination for someone who prided himself on riding some of the biggest waves Los Angeles had to offer. 

But he was back now. Back and better than ever. No more relying on surfing movies to get him through his withdrawal of the sun, sand and water. No more nervous breakdowns on Monday mornings after a weekend lacking some good waves. Surfing was Ed's escape, his way of dealing with the events of the past couple of months. He needed it to sustain his sanity. He craved it like a drug. 

Today had been a very good day. Three monster waves and a few babies. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. His body was bursting with adrenaline and with life. God, it felt good. 

He slowly swam out of the water, reveling in all the sensations around him. Cool water against the material of his wetsuit, mushy sand under his feet, the sounds of muffled chatter coming from the sunbathers on the beach, that soft, salty smell that most people hated, but Ed loved. He was in heaven.

He stepped fully out of the water and walked up into the sand, perching his board up in a vertical position. Then he plopped down in front of it and a look of child-like glee came on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy. 

Yes, he could, he realized. It was the day he had met Sloan. He had nervously sat down at a desk for his first day of advanced organic chemistry in grad school and Sloan had taken the seat next to him. She asked if she could borrow a pencil and the rest was history. They had quickly become friends, best friends, studying together and doing basically everything else together. Ed was completely in love. Of course, he had never confessed his feelings. He was scared to death of being rejected and losing Sloan from his life completely. Being her best friend wasn't want he wanted, but he would take what he could get. 

Ed sighed at the thought and then shook it from his mind. Sloan was in his life and that was all that mattered. He squeezed the water droplets from his long hair and then leaned back against his surfboard, pumping himself up for the next round of waves. 

**

Haley Sumner had been watching Ed Tate for weeks and had quickly determined that he was perfect. Single, lonely, shy. Spent his nights reading, watching television and playing video games. Occasionally attended movies, most of the time by himself. Ate out every Friday night at a local beach bistro where he ordered a chicken salad and three Coronas. All in all, living a pathetic bachelor lifestyle. And for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.

Ed was very good looking. She had admired his long and lean form from the very first time she had laid eyes on it. The hair was a little messy, but she could live with that. His eyes were gorgeous. A deep, chocolate brown that betrayed every emotion that flowed through his mind. Lot's of smiles, lot's of laughs, an all around nice guy. Smart, funny, slightly sarcastic. She was intrigued. There was something about him that made her want to get to know him better. And it looked as if today would be her perfect opportunity.

The surfing had come as a bit of a surprise to her. Sure, she had seen the surfboard in his van and had noticed the blonde surfer streaks in his hair and that earthy surfer boy necklace he always wore. But today had been totally unexpected. She had tailed him from his apartment to the beach, all the while admiring the way the tight wet suit hugged his body in all the right places. Damn, the man was a stud and he didn't even know it. She had seen him run into the water with his surfboard in hand and paddle his way out into the heavy surf. She had plopped down in the sand to watch, expecting the lanky Mr. Tate to get washed away in the messy surf of the waves.

Instead, Ed had totally blown her mind. As she watched him catch his first wave, she was struck by the extraordinary amount of power and grace he possessed. He had taken control of the wave and made it his own. It was a beautiful thing to watch. Here was a man who in his real life was meek and soft-spoken, pushed around like a laboratory rat. But here, in the ocean, Ed was home. He was strong, he was powerful, he was a God. For over an hour she watched him catch wave after wave, one bigger than the other, all the while her jaw dropping closer to the ground. She caught glimpses of his face and noticed how incredibly happy and peaceful he seemed. She continued to watch curiously as he swam out of the surf and stepped out onto the beach, seeming to revel in his surroundings. She saw him sit down on the sand and then seem to contemplate something fairly depressing. Then she had seen him take a deep breath and relax against his surfboard, enjoying the beautiful ocean view. That was her cue. The poor sap would never know what hit him. And neither would the rest of them.

**

Ed couldn't take his eyes of her when he first saw her. She was a tall and slender red head, wearing a matching red tank top and tiny shorts that accentuated her model-like figure. He stared as she walked down the beach, his heart beating wildly in his chest. She reminded him of Sloan. God, she was gorgeous. She continued walking towards him and suddenly, she was looking right at him, a small smile on her face.

Ed turned around to see if there was some hot stud behind him. Surely she wasn't smiling at him. She couldn't be. My god, she was.

"Hi," she said as she stepped to Ed, her shadow casting his face into darkness.

Ed swallowed and looked up at her. "Hi, can I help you?" he answered somewhat nervously.

"Name's Haley. Haley Sumner," she said, sticking out her perfectly sculpted hand.

Ed stuck out his own hand and gave her a friendly shake. "Ed Tate," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Tate," said Haley as she sat down next to him in the sand.

"It's Ed," he said softly.

"Ed," repeated Haley with a toothy grin. "I couldn't help but admire your surfing skills out there," she said as she pointed to the ocean.

Ed blushed slightly and looked down. "I wouldn't call it skill, it's just something I enjoy doing," he answered earnestly.

"Well, you're very good at it," said Haley with amusement. "You from around here?"

Ed pointed towards the street. "I've got an apartment a couple of blocks away. What about you?" he asked, trying not to stare at her emerald green eyes.

"I've got a place right down the beach. Beautiful sunsets," she remarked.

Ed pointed at his board. "You surf?"

Haley snorted. "No. I just like watching."

"Well, in that case," said Ed as he stood up and picked up his board, "wouldn't want to disappoint the lady," he said with a shy smile.

Haley motioned towards the surf. "By all means."

Ed smiled in slight embarrassment and then ran out into the ocean, his surfboard in a firm grip. He paddled out to an area where the waves were fairly big and then began riding one wave after another.

Haley sat on the shore, laughing and clapping as she watched Ed trying to impress her. And he did. The waves he was riding were huge. She couldn't understand how a person that thin couldn't just get washed away out to sea. It continued for another half-hour until Ed finally made his way back to the shore. He walked out of the water and then flopped down next to her, his chest heaving. "I think I over did it," he breathed.

Haley raised her eyebrow in concern. "Are you okay?"

Ed nodded and lay back in the sand against his surfboard. "Yeah. I was really sick for about a month, and I just now got over it. This is the first time I've been able to get out here in weeks."

Haley started. "You're Ed Tate."

"Yeah," said Ed, trailing off curiously.

"You're _the_ Ed Tate. One of the scientists who discovered the new species," said Haley.

"Unfortunately, yes. How did you know?" asked Ed as he sat back up.

"I'm a reporter," said Haley.

Ed's face fell. "Oh, well in that case, it was nice meeting you," he said as he started to stand.

"No, no, it's not like that," said Haley in an upset tone. "I work in the lifestyles section at the LA Times. I've just seen some of the articles about this species. Dominants? Is that what you call them?" she asked curiously.

Ed nodded. "That's right," he said, looking down. "Look, if you don't mind, can we not talk about this? I deal with enough of this stuff and sometimes I just like to forget."

"Sure," said Haley, nodding. "I'm sorry, it's just that…you know, you're kind of a celebrity."

Ed smiled. "Yeah well, I could live without my new found status."

Haley grinned and then an awkward silence fell between the two. Haley interrupted it by clearing her throat. "Ed, I don't normally do this, but…do you think you might like to get dinner sometime?" she asked.

A surprised look spread across Ed's face. "Dinner?" he asked.

Haley nodded. "Yeah. You just seem like a really nice guy, and I'd like to get to know you better."

Ed blushed and gave her an awkward glance. "Sorry, it's just been awhile. Haven't really spent much time with anyone besides my fellow scientists and a couple of monkeys."

Haley leaned forward and rubbed her hand down Ed's shoulder. "Well how about we get you out of the lab for awhile."

Ed glanced at her hand on his shoulder and then his gaze drifted to her face. "Uh…how about uh…tonight? Where do you live? I can pick you up," he said nervously.

"1212 Palm Drive. It's just up the beach," said Haley.

"Right," said Ed, nodding his head. "How about seven?"

Haley nodded and stood up. "Sounds perfect."

Ed followed suit and awkwardly stuck out his hand. "It was nice meeting you, Haley."

Haley took his hand and shook it gently. "Likewise, Ed. I should be going."

Ed nodded. "I should be going too," he said as he glanced up at the street. "I guess I'll see you later."

Haley smiled. "Bye," she said as she slowly walked down the beach.

Ed stared after her for a few minutes and then shook his head, not believing his good luck. He then picked up his surfboard and headed for his van.

**

Haley had read Ed like a book. He was an extremely emotional person on the inside, although she could tell he tried to hide it on the outside. During their short introduction, she had detected lust, longing, and a sweet innocence. She also realized just how brilliant the man really was. She would have to be extremely careful with him, she realized.

After giving him enough time to get to his van, she had followed him back to his apartment where he had changed into some casual clothes, and then she had gone on a little field trip with him to the lab. That was what she needed from him. To get into the lab and expose all of its secrets.

Her mission was complicated. Several tasks, one involving the retrieval of all data collected by these people. Retrieve the data and then assassinate all the scientists involved, including Ed Tate, Sloan Parker, and Walter Attwood. Then there was the task of finding Lewis, which to her, took precedence over her other assignments.

Haley had been one of his best students. Trained since the age of five, she had perfected her skills of blocking, mind reading and self-defense. Homo Sapiens weren't an issue for her. It was Tom that might pose a problem. She had never met him, but she had heard stories about him, mostly from Lewis and his other disciples. He was the man who had gotten away. The man who had betrayed them all. He and the rest of them had put Lewis away. Lewis was no doubt locked away in some underground government facility. Haley and the rest of Lewis' followers had tried to find him, but obviously the government had done a damn good job of hiding him. It was her mission to find him, no matter what it cost her in the end.

A few minutes later, as she watched Ed come out of the lab and get back in his van, she felt a hint of regret work its way through her body. The damn emotions again. It was her one weakness, the weakness Lewis had always insisted that dominants didn't have, but nevertheless did, no matter how much they tried to deny them.

Ed was innocent, she realized. Maybe more than any of them. He was a scientist who had just happened to discover the existence of her kind. Like a good scientist, he was trying to figure out a way to scientifically stop them. He wasn't like Walter, whose sole purpose in life seemed to be to destroy the dominants. He wasn't even like Sloan, who seemed to spend most of her time out in the field, rather than in the lab. No, Ed was their workhorse. He did what they told him when they told him, trying to do the right thing for his species. He had never really realized just how much danger he had put himself in. But soon he would find out.

TBC


	2. Part 2

Tangled Agendas (2/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Enjoy the next part, folks!

Ed parked his van in front of the address Haley had given him and took a deep, nervous breath. He glanced at his reflection in his rearview mirror, taking in his appearance. Not bad, he thought as he looked at his freshly styled hair and rosy cheeks from the morning sun. He looked down at his attire, nodding in approval at the blue sweater and baggy khakis he had chosen for the date.

"Okay Ed, here it goes," he whispered to himself as he reached over to the passenger's seat and picked up a bouquet of white daises he had picked up on the way over to Haley's house. He nervously got out of the van and shuffled towards the front door, admiring the side view of a gorgeous sunset. He got up to the door and knocked softly three times.

The door opened a second later and Ed had to take a backwards step at Haley's appearance. She was dressed in a casual emerald green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. Her hair was up in a loose bun with curly tendrils hanging near her ears, which were adorned in silver hoops.

"Wow," whispered Ed.

Haley smiled widely. "You like?" she as she did a little spin.

Ed nodded, unable to form words. He stepped forward and handed her the daisies. "These are for you."

Haley nearly blushed. "Oh…that's so sweet Ed," she said in a slightly surprised tone. "Come in for a second, I'll put them in some water."

Ed complied and stepped behind her through the doorway, taking in the minimalist decoration job in the small house. There was a black leather couch, a huge black and gold painting, and a small bookshelf filled with dozens of paperbacks and magazines. Other than that it was pretty bare. Ed liked it. It reminded him of a surfing Zen garden. "I guess after a rough day in the news room you need a relaxing place to come home to," he said as he noticed a small rock waterfall in the corner of the room.

Haley looked up from the vase she had found and nodded. " Simpler the better that's what I always say," she said as she set down the vase and stepped into the living room. "Ready to go?"

Ed nodded. "Yep," he said as he walked towards the front door. Haley followed and then locked the door once they were both out of the house. "So what did you have in mind for dinner?" she asked curiously.

"I was thinking some Chinese takeout under the stars," said Ed as he pointed towards the waning sunlight spilling onto the beach.

"Couldn't have planned it better myself," said Haley with a large grin as she walked towards Ed's van.

An hour later, they were finishing up the last of the sweet and sour chicken and fried rice in the sand under the stars, reveling in the cool night breeze.

"You know, Haley…I don't do this often," said Ed after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Do what? Date?" asked Haley as she reached for a fortune cookie.

Ed nodded. "Yeah. I mean…I've been in…you know,"

"Love?" offered Haley.

"Exactly. But it never seems to go anywhere," said Ed sadly.

"Well maybe your luck's about to change, Mr. Tate," said Haley as she cracked open the fortune cookie. "Big changes are in the horizon," she read aloud. "See, big changes."

Ed shook his head. "That stuff's a bunch of generalizations. I don't tend to put my fate in the hands of a fortune cookie. I need some kind of concrete evidence," he said.

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Like scientific evidence?"

Ed chuckled. "I guess so."

Before he could say anything, Haley's lips were pressed against his, her tongue pushing eagerly into his mouth. Ed sighed and kissed her hard, loving the sensations running through his body. Soon, they were in a tangled frenzy of tongues, lips and harsh breathing, pawing each other into ecstasy.

Finally, Ed had to break away to catch his breath.

Haley leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. "How about that for scientific proof?"

Ed reached a hand out and gently ran it through her hair. "I think I'm going to have run more tests," he said teasingly.

"If you insist," said Haley as she grabbed him by the neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Her hand reached under his sweater and began tracing teasing circles around his navel. She worked her hands up to his belly and ribs, tickling and caressing the soft skin. Then her fingers traveled to his nipples, pinching them lightly between her thumb and middle finger. She ran her hands back down his chest, her fingers tugging at his shirt. "Make love to me, Ed," she whispered in his ear.

Ed glanced at her for a long moment, his eyes glowing with lust and nervousness. Finally, he leaned forward with a soft moan and began running his fingers through her hair and gently kissing her. Soon, all that was visible under the pale moonlight was the sight of two naked bodies writhing in ecstasy.

**

On Monday morning, Ed whistled happily as he stepped off the elevator to the lab, carrying a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He made his way over to his desk and sat down in his chair, all the while continuing to whistle.

"Ed?" said Sloan as she popped her head in the door to his office.

Ed looked up and smiled. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.

A look of amusement spread across Sloan's face. "What happened?"

Ed gave her an innocent look. "What are you talking about?"

Sloan stepped fully into his office and sat down on his desk. "What I'm talking about is that you're positively glowing," she said as she took in his rosy cheeks.

"Must be a sunburn," said Ed.

"Nope," said Sloan, shaking her head. "You met a girl," she said with glee.

Ed couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. "No I didn't"

Sloan giggled. "Yes you did. Ed's got a girlfriend, Ed's got a girlfriend," she teased.

Ed laughed. "Okay, so maybe I did meet a girl."

Sloan leaned forward. "All right, spill it, give me all the dirt. Did you kiss her?"

Ed's face turned bright red.

"Ah ha, you did, you kissed her," said Sloan. She reached her hand under his jaw and gave him a soft caress. "I'm happy for you, Ed. You deserve someone special."

Ed grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Thanks," he said with sincerity.

Sloan was about to ask more questions when Walter popped his head in and interrupted her. "Sloan, Ed, I'm glad you're both here. We have a situation."

Sloan got off of Ed's desk with a serious expression on her face. "What kind of situation?"

"We've gotten word from some underground channels that some of Lewis' former students are not happy about his incarceration. It looks like they might be formulating a plan to break him out," answered Walter.

"Where's Lewis now?" asked Ed as he took a sip off his coffee.

"An underground facility buried somewhere out in the desert. They don't give me specifics. If the threats heat up, he might be moved," said Walter.

"Wait a minute," interrupted Sloan. "Isn't that a little risky? I mean it would be a lot easier to get him in transit then in some underground cave."

Walter nodded in agreement. "I had similar thoughts, but my superiors have chosen not to listen to me," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Huh, the government not listening, imagine that?" said Ed sarcastically.

"The point is, I want you two to be extremely careful the next few weeks. There's no telling if the new species might attack one of us to get information on Lewis. Let Tom know as well," said Walter firmly.

Sloan nodded. "We will, Walter. Thanks for the heads up."

Walter nodded and then left the office.

Ed sighed. "Well that was a great way to start the week."

"No kidding," said Sloan in agreement.

Ed glanced up at her with a serious expression on his face. "Maybe you should cool it with Tom for awhile. They're more likely to come after him anyway."

Sloan smiled. "Nice try, Ed, but I can handle things myself."

Ed sighed. "I know, but I just worry about you, that's all. I'll admit, Tom's growing on me. Hell, I might even call him a friend. But he's still dangerous to be around. He's always going to be a target, Sloan, either from the new species or from our government or,"

"Ed," interrupted Sloan. "Tom will protect me, you know that," she said in a short tone.

"Look, I know okay. Just…be careful, that's all," said Ed, slightly taken aback.

Sloan's face softened. "I'm sorry. I know you worry. We'll be careful, I promise," she said with a small smile.

"That's all I ask," said Ed.

Sloan nodded. "I gotta get back to work. You can fill me in on your dream girl later," she said with a teasing smile as she walked out of his office.

Ed smiled as he ran his hand through his hair. He glanced at the LA Times he had set on his desk and flipped to the lifestyle's section, looking for one of Haley's articles.

**

Ed and Haley spent every night of the next week together, talking, eating out, watching movies and making love. Haley had started spending the night at Ed's apartment and every night they would fall asleep in each other's arms. Ed had never felt happier or more exhilarated in his whole life.

Neither had Haley and that was quickly becoming a problem. She realized after their first night together that Ed wasn't going to be a person she would forget easily. She was beginning to dread what she had to do. But nevertheless she had made a promise, and she was going to do her damnedest to fulfill it.

The Saturday after they had met, Ed and Haley were asleep in Ed's bed, Ed's arms wrapped protectively around Haley. Of course, Haley wasn't really asleep. She had laid there for the better part of an hour waiting for Ed to fall asleep after their lovemaking session. 

After he had finally drifted away, she reached deep into his mind and put him into a heavy trance so he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. She carefully untangled herself from his arms and got out of bed, heading straight for Ed's jacket. She located his key to the lab and quickly got dressed. Then she quietly shut the door behind her and headed for her car.

When she got to the university, she got out of her car and headed into the building, glad she had chosen the weekend to break in when there were no night guards on duty. She quickly made her way up the elevator and onto the floor of the lab. When she reached the door to the lab, she took a deep breath and unlocked the door with Ed's key. Then she made her way inside and headed right to the computers. She pulled out the disk she had brought along and stuck it in the disk drive of one of the computer. Then she proceeded to copy every file the computer had. She did the same to all the other computers in the lab.

When she was finished with the copying, she headed into Ed's office. She rooted through his drawers, taking care not to disturb anything as she looked for any other information that might be useful. When she didn't find anything, she sat back in his chair and closed her eyes, sighing slightly. She opened her eyes a second later and glanced over at Sloan and Walter's office. She thought about breaking into them, but determined she had done enough for one night. She got out of the chair and locked Ed's office door behind her. Then she checked around the lab, making sure she had left everything as she found it. When she was satisfied, she headed towards the door, the disk of information securely tucked in her pocket. She didn't notice the small glass bubble camera on the ceiling as she headed out the door and locked it with Ed's key.

As soon as she got back to her car, she shoved the disk in her glove compartment. Then she quickly drove back to Ed's apartment. When she finally got back, she realized that the trance she had put Ed in was wearing off. She quickly undressed herself and got back into bed with him, wrapping her arms around his slender body.

"Hmmm, where did you go?" asked Ed curiously as he opened his eyes and gave her a bleary eyed stare.

"Just lookin' at the stars," answered Haley.

Ed nodded and closed his eyes, still half-asleep. "Love you," he murmured as he drifted into sleep.

Haley sighed and wrapped her arms even tighter around him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, even though he couldn't hear her. 

TBC


	3. Part 3

Tangled Agendas (3/?)

By Carol M.

See first part for details

Sorry this part took so long guys. Hopefully the next part will come quicker. Enjoy!

"Time to wake up, sleepy head," said Haley the next morning. She ran her hand down Ed's chest, letting it come to rest against his belly.

Ed stirred and gave her a tired glance. "Hey," he whispered in a groggy morning voice.

Haley started tickling his stomach. "Come on, up and at em'," she said in a firm voice.

Ed squirmed out of her reach. "But it's Sunday. I always sleep in on Sundays," he whined.

Haley sighed heavily. "Fine, have it your way. I guess I'll be eating a nice home cooked breakfast all by myself then."

Ed's stomach growled loudly. "Breakfast?"

Haley nodded. "That's right. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, oran…

"Okay, I'm up," interrupted Ed as he sat up dramatically in the bed.

Haley smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. "I guess the old adage 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach' is dead on," she said with amusement. "Which reminds me…how the hell are you so thin? You eat like a horse," she said as she glanced at his slender waist.

"Fast metabolism," responded Ed.

Haley shrugged. "Either that or excessive brain power. Your mind alone probably burns the same amount of calories as a twenty mile jog."

Ed smiled and got out of bed. Haley gave him a small shove. "Go, take a shower, breakfast will be ready and waiting when you get out."

"Yes ma'am," said Ed as he staggered off into the bathroom.

Forty five minutes later, Ed had eaten his way through three pancakes, two eggs, three pieces of bacon, a sausage and three glasses of orange juice. Haley was still working on her second egg.

"So I was thinking about lunch," said Ed in a slightly eager tone.

Haley raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Ed, we're still eating breakfast."

Ed shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. I want you to meet Sloan. You know, the friend I always talk about."

"The other woman?" said Haley jokingly.

"No, I'm serious. I really want you to meet her. Please?" he asked, shining his puppy dog eyes in her direction.

Haley smiled and nodded. "Sure. Sounds like fun."

Ed's face lit up. "Great! I'm going to call her right now and see if she's free," he said as he got up and went to the phone.

Haley was about to get to work on some bacon when her cell phone rang. She picked it up from the table and quickly answered it. "Haley Sumner."

"I want a progress report," said a man's voice on the other side of the line.

Haley glanced over at Ed, who was busying laughing and chatting on the phone. "Now is not good time," she whispered into the phone.

"Too bad. We're stepping things up. I need you to meet you today. One o'clock, usual place. Bring everything you've gotten so far," said the man.

"Fine," said Haley in an angry tone.

"Don't be late," said the man.

"Okay," answered Haley. Then the line went dead. She hung up her phone and glanced at Ed, who was still on his phone.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll see you then," he said into the phone. "Bye." Ed hung up the phone and glanced at Haley. "One thirty at Billy's Bistro. How does that sound?" he asked as he began clearing away some of the dirty dishes.

Haley sighed dramatically. "Actually, my editor just called and he wants to meet with me at one. A source fell through and he's kind of in a jam," she responded. "How about I meet you there?"

"Want me to come with you? I can call Sloan back and push up lunch," offered Ed.

Haley violently shook her head. "No, no, no, you'd be bored to tears. I won't be long, I promise. Besides, I really want to meet the famous Ms. Parker," she said as she began eating a piece of bacon.

"Okay," said Ed. He looked at her with a shy expression on his face. "Thanks for making breakfast," he said softly.

Haley stood up and walked over to Ed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You're welcome. Just trying to do my part to fatten you up."

Ed laughed and turned around, kissing the top of her head. "I've never had anyone make me breakfast like this before. Well…you know, besides my mom. It was nice," he whispered in her ear.

"Well maybe if you're a good boy, I'll do it again some time," she said as she pulled away from him. "I've got to take a shower. Want to look my best to meet Sloan."

"You're going to love her," said Ed as he turned on the faucet and began to wash the dishes.

Haley nodded slightly and then disappeared into the bathroom.

**

"Tomorrow?" yelled Haley incredulously. "You want me to take out everybody tomorrow? Jake, that's not enough time and you know it," she said in a furious tone as she stared down the crowded Santa Monica Pier where she had met her contact. 

The pale skinned blonde man smiled coldly. "Actually, it's more than enough time, Haley. We've determined that Lewis is untouchable in his current location and that he won't be moved anytime soon due to a few choice words from Dr. Attwood." Jake laughed slightly. "The U.S. government actually listened to the fool."

Haley stared at Jake with an incredulous look on her face. "Wait a minute? You know where Lewis is?" asked Haley.

"We've always known, Haley," answered Jake.

"Then went the hell have I been doing for the last two weeks?" asked Haley.

"Getting close, getting inside and giving us valuable information on how to kill and manipulate the Homo Sapiens," he said as he pulled out the disk she had given him. "The stuff they're developing to use on us, we can develop to use on them."

Haley shook her head in confusion. "I still don't understand about Lewis."

"It's quite simple really. I managed to pull up an old e-mail on the disk that you gave me detailing Lewis' location. They'll realize that we know his location and they'll move him. And that's when we get him, in transit," said Jake.

"So you used me? You knew where he was all along," said Haley.

Jake shook his head. "No, we manipulated you for their reaction. Big difference. You're going to be a hero to our kind, Haley."

Haley sighed heavily. "So what do I do now?"

"You let them find out who you are and let Dr. Attwood report to his superiors. Then eliminate them," instructed Jake.

Haley stared off at the ocean for a minute and then turned her attention back to Jake. "What about Ed? He's a genius. We could use him for something," she said softly.

Jake shook his head. "Take him out along with everyone else. Those people are too much of a threat to us," said Jake firmly. "Do you understand?"

Haley nodded.

"Good. You're species is counting on you," said Jake as he walked back down the pier.

Haley leaned against the railing and closed her eyes, smelling the ocean scents in the air. It reminded her of Ed. With a heavy sigh, she pushed back from the railing and followed Jake back down the pier.

**

"Oh good, you're here," said Ed excitedly as Haley came up to his and Sloan's table at the bistro. He stood up and pulled out the empty chair next to him. Haley promptly sat down and gave Sloan

a large grin. "You must be Sloan. I've heard a lot about you," she said warmly.

Sloan returned the smile and nodded. "It's so nice to meet you, Haley. Ed's told me all about you."

Haley nudged Ed's shoulder. "Oh, so you were gossiping about me?" she said in amusement.

Ed grinned in embarrassment and looked down. "Well…"

"He's too shy for his own good," said Sloan. "Been that way for years," she added.

"Hopefully, I can bring him out of his shell," said Haley.

Sloan glanced at Ed and laughed. "I'd say you've already done that. I've never seen him so happy."

"Guys, come on now, enough about me," interrupted Ed.

"Oh all right," said Sloan. She looked over at Haley curiously. "So Ed tells me you're a reporter."

Haley nodded. "Yep. I cover entertainment news for the LA Times. Fashion, food and drink of the stars."

"Wow," said Sloan. "Sometimes I wish our job was that glamorous."

"Well from what Ed has told me, you guys get your share of headlines," said Haley.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Sloan.

"So how did you…" Haley was interrupted by the sound of Sloan's cell phone ringing.

"Sorry," said Sloan as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone, answering it. "Sloan Parker…what…when?" she said with concern.

Ed glanced at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Yeah, we'll be right there. Bye Walter," said Sloan as she hung up the phone. 

"What's going on?" asked Ed.

"Someone broke into the lab and copied the hard drives of several of our computers," answered Sloan grimly.

"What?" asked Ed.

"Walter was checking the log this morning and found that someone had accessed all our files," she said as stood up. "We should get over there, this could be serious."

"Yeah," said Ed. He glanced over at Haley with an apologetic look on his face. "I really need to get to the lab."

Haley nodded in understanding. "Go, duty calls."

"I'll come by your place later, okay," said Ed as he stood up.

"Sure," said Haley as she took hold of his hand and kissed it.

Sloan stuck out her hand in Haley's direction. "It was nice to meet you. We'll have to get together again."

Haley shook Sloan's hand and nodded. "Definitely."

Ed smiled slightly in Haley's direction. "I'll see you later, Haley."

"Bye," said Haley as Ed and Sloan quickly walked out of the restaurant.

**

Ed and Sloan found Walter looking at the data on Ed's computer when they entered the lab. "What did they copy?" asked Ed with concern as he glanced over Walter's shoulder to look at the computer screen.

"Everything. Experiments, test, raw data…Lewis' location," said Walter grimly.

"What?" asked Sloan in surprise.

"They intercepted an email addressed to me regarding Lewis' location that somehow got mixed in with the scientific data. Which means they know where Lewis is," said Walter.

"Well we've got to move him," said Sloan.

"I've already informed them," said Walter. "I made the call fifteen minutes ago. Lewis will be transported early tomorrow morning. It's risky, but it's better then him being a sitting duck, so to speak, in his current location."

Ed sat down on his desk and gazed at Walter and Sloan with a look of bewilderment on his face. "Who could have done this?"

"We'll know in a few minutes. Security is looking at the tapes from last night at the time the copying was done according to the computer log," answered Walter.

"Wait a minute, you've got cameras in here?" asked Ed.

"Yes," said Walter as he stepped away from Ed's computer. "After Tom went under Lewis' control and tried to kill us, I decided a security system wouldn't be such a bad idea. They were installed several months ago when we were also installing a new air conditioning system. No one knew except for me and the guy who installed the cameras," said Walter.

"What about Tom?" asked Sloan.

"I contacted Tom and he's trying to track down the dominants who might be behind all of this," answered Walter.

A tall, pimply-faced kid of about twenty walked into the office. "Sir, I've got something."

"Perfect," said Walter as he stepped out the door. He motioned for Sloan and Ed to follow. They all walked into Walter's office where a television had been set up. Ed gasped when he saw the freeze-framed image of Haley on the television screen. "No," he whispered softly.

The boy unfroze the image and Ed watched in horror as Haley systematically copied the computer files and looked through his drawers.

"I take it you know this woman, Ed," said Walter.

"Her name's Haley Sumner," answered Sloan.

"Who is she?" asked Walter.

"She's my girlfriend," whispered Ed as he swallowed the huge lump that was forming in his throat.

"She's one of them, isn't she?" asked Sloan.

Ed shook his head. "No, she's…look, she's a reporter, maybe she was trying to do a story," he said a little too desperately.

"How did you meet her, Ed? Who initialized the contact?" asked Walter.

Ed sunk down in a chair. "She did."

"Could she have gotten your security badge and key?" asked Walter.

Ed nodded without saying a word.

"We have to call Tom," said Sloan.

"No," said Ed as he stood up. "I'll take care of it."

"Ed…" said Sloan.

"Look, it's probably just a misunderstanding, okay," he yelled in a harsher tone then he intended. "She's just a reporter."

"We'll need a sample of her blood," said Sloan.

"No, we won't need a sample of her blood. She's not one of them. She's my girlfriend, not a dominant," said Ed.

"Ed, she used you to get inside," said Walter.

Ed shook his head. "No she didn't. This is all a mistake," he said as he started for the door.

"Ed, wait, it could be dangerous. If she is a dominant, we don't know what her plans are," said Sloan. 

Ed opened the door and then slammed it shut again. He turned around with a betrayed look in his eye. "So it's okay for you to run around with the new species, but not me. Is that what you're saying?"

"Don't you think Tom and mine's situation is a little bit different?" countered Sloan. "Besides Ed, why didn't she tell you who she really was?"

Ed snorted. "I can't wait until this blows up in your faces. She's not one of them and she's not helping them. She's just a reporter looking for a story." And with that, Ed walked out the door and slammed it harshly behind him.

Walter gave Sloan a concerned look. "What was that all about?"

Sloan shook her head sadly. "He's fallen for her, Walter. His heart's broken."

"We need to get her in here and question her, see if she can tell us what the dominants are planning. Call Tom and track this woman. Watch out for yourselves and for Ed, you may be in danger," said Walter grimly.

Sloan nodded and quickly walked out of his office, already dialing Tom's number on her cell phone.

TBC


End file.
